Salvation Army's need for additional toy donations is great

TROY -- While many area organizations hosting toy drives this holiday season are either reaching their goals or even surpassing them, there is still one desperate for more donations.

It has been highly publicized that organizations including Toys for Tots, operated by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, have been lacking in donations this year and places such as the area Boys & Girls Clubs, the Whitney Young Health Services and the Missing Link AME Zion Church have been hurting.

But after some media publicity and help from members of the community, each of those places will meet its toy drive goal. Missing Link AME Zion Church Pastor Willie Bacote said there several organizations and businesses have reached out to make donations.

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The church received a note from Toys for Tots informing him it could not take any more requests for the year as it has been inundated with them. But the community reached out, Bacote said, and has set the church up for one of the best holiday parties it's had in several years.

"There have been so many organizations and businesses reaching out to us in such an awesome way to make sure the kids in North Central have toys that were not possible through Toys for Tots," Bacote said. "I believe this is going to be our most successful Christmas party in the last five years."

Bacote said Toys for Tots would usually gives the church around 900 toys each year. Missing Link is very close to reaching this year's goal. However, donations are still being collected every day at the church from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or people can visit its website at www.missinglinkstreetministry.com

Bob DeMeo, owner of DeMeo Discount Wine & Liquor, said his annual toy drive has seen a steady stream of items come in as he said locals from Rensselaer County make sure to donate each year. His donations go right to the Rensselaer County Youth Services Department, which will distribute the toys.

Sadly, there is one organization which said it has been struggling to get donations. Major Stephen Loveless at the Salvation Army located at 410 River St. said 100 of the paper angels it hangs on trees with the names of children and their requests for presents were not selected and some of the gifts for the ones selected have not yet come in. He said they need to pack 375 baskets for families and have them delivered by Wednesday, Dec. 19.

Loveless said people may not be donating because of the condition of the economy but said some people might just need a reminder there are still some children in need of Christmas gifts. He does thank those who have already donated, though, and said any gift at this point would be greatly appreciated.

"Most of the families we support are on a tight budget as it is as most of them are on fixed incomes," Loveless said. "They don't have the extra for extras like Christmas. They can survive the month but when it comes to Christmas, they struggle to get the extras like getting gifts and food for the kids."

Jim Gordon, who was collecting donations for the Whitney Young Health Services facility and the Lansingburgh Boys & Girls Club, said he was able to get $700 in donations as well as five large sacks full of toys. He said once the story came out about the lack of donations coming into the Toys for Tots, it opened a lot of people's eyes. But he also felt it exposed a local need that needed to be met as well.

"I think it's really important to emphasize the community is relating to its own community's needs," Gordon said. "This is what makes it so successful. People are really in need and are going to need these services and they are not going outside the area."